Verified Document

Confucianism And Daoism Confucianism Is A Term Essay

Confucianism and Daoism Confucianism

Confucianism is a term used to describe a philosophical system of beliefs based on the teachings of Confucius, whose birth name is Kong Qiu but went by the title Master Kong, Kongzi (Jensen, 2007). Confucius was a Chinese thinker who between 551-479 BCE. While Confucius did have disciples, Confucianism as a system of beliefs was not created until the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.E. before that era there was no organization in regards to his writing. According to Jensen (2007), Confucians were Chinese thinkers who admired and centered their lives on the Wujing, a collection of texts that originate from Western Zhou. It is believed that Confucius wrote those texts (Demerath, 2001).

Kongzi was a strong believer in rituals. One ritual is ancestor worship, which is the ceremonial communication and sacrifice to one's family member that passed away. It is a tradition that still observed to this day. The ritual is pervasive throughout all of East Asia. Daily worship typically requires a person to consistently strive to improve one's character and act appropriately within one's community (Jensen, 2007). Another form of worship is actively participating in the social hierarchy, in other words, family, community, and country....

Confucians also utilize an ancient divination manual known as the Yijing. The Yijing is used to predict the future or the outcomes of present actions. It is used by millions of people even Westerners (Jensen, 2007).
Taoism

Taoism is also referred to Daoism, Chinese religion associated with the teaching of Laozi (Lao Tzu) and his text the Daode jing. The text emphasizes on dao being a path or the correct way to behave. The Daode jing refers to an ancient mix that existed before "Heaven and Earth" which all creatures originated from (Fowler, 2007). The religion itself did not exist until the Way of Celestial Masters was created in 142 C.E. By Zhang Daoling basing the sect on the teachings of Laozi. Taoism is greatly influenced by the Shang dynasty religion. The Shang dynasty religion worshipped heavenly ancestors who were ruled by an emperor, Shangdi (Demerath, 2001). Sacrifices were made to the ancestors and divination rituals were practiced to communicate with the deceased. Practitioners would ask their ancestors for advice on all sorts of matter including war, politics, and other social issues.

There are two principal types of rituals: the first is funeral rites or regular rites to honor ancestors and the second is rituals for…

Sources used in this document:
References:

Demerath, N.J. (2001). Crossing the gods: World religions and worldly politics.

New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press.

Fowler, J.D. (2005). An introduction to the philosophy and religion of Taoism: Pathways to immortality. Portland, Ore: Sussex Academic Press.

Jensen, L.M. (1997). Manufacturing Confucianism: Chinese traditions & universal civilization. Durham: Duke University Press.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Confucianism and Daoism
Words: 1766 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Confucianism and Daoism are Chinese religious traditions. While they are considered by some to be very different they are often actually woven together (Mou, 78). The teachings of one are often relatively consistent with the teachings of the other and because of this those who believe in one of these religious traditions do not discount the other one or feel that it is unworthy. Both of them indicate a reverence

Confucianism As a Root to
Words: 650 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

The enormous expanse of land, resource and population that is and has been China, to varying size parameters, has by virtue of these outsized characteristics, been site to wild fluctuations in the areas of continuity of control. The onset of a historical trend which would become known as the dynastic cycle would be preceded though by a sustained period of Chinese social stability, distinguished in particular by the influence

Daoism Vs. Confucianism the Author of This
Words: 1209 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Daoism vs. Confucianism The author of this report is asked to compare and contrast Daoism (also commonly known as Taoism) with the focus being on the contrast. Indeed, the two belief and philosophy structures are quite different but they also have some strong similarities. Those facets and components that are the same will be enumerated throughout this text. The two writing styles follow common themes but are presented differently. Confucian writing

Confucianism in East Asian Cultures
Words: 2254 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Confucianism in East Asian Cultures Confucianism is often characterized as a system that involves social and ethical philosophy as opposed to being purely a religion in the traditional definition of religion. As a matter of fact Confucianism is based on ancient religious foundations for the establishment of institutions, social values, and transcendent ideas of traditional societies. The paper is a critique of Confucian legacies in East Asian modernities, knowledge as well

Confucianism Was Confucianism a Religion
Words: 2865 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

In the above quotation Tucker has clearly stated that the concept of imminence and transcendence, which are considered as essential aspects of the Western definition of religion, are not easily discernable in the philosophy of Confucianism. On the other hand Tucker makes a valid point, in that there can be many different views of what religion is and how it is experienced by different cultures may differ as well.

Daoism As a Way of
Words: 3037 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

14). Certainly, the vast majority of people in the West have come to think about the world around them in terms of the Greek philosophical tradition, combined with some version of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic religions. For example, Freiberg (1977) reports that "Philosophical systems based on positive and dialectical logic have co-existed throughout Western history, but dialectical philosophies have become increasingly important during the last two centuries" (p. 3). This author

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now